Brisbane is set to get greener with a plan to expand a special community produce garden in the inner suburbs.

The state government has increased funding to encourage some long term unemployed to work at the site.

Benjamin Leming reports.

TRANSCRIPT

It’s part of the state government’s “skilling Queenslanders for work program” and today the Northey Street garden received a boost of a quarter of a million dollars.

Stirling Hinchliffe, Qld Minister for Employment, Skills and Mining: “The Green Army Projects across the board, along with other projects skilling Queenslanders for work, are part of a one hundred and six million dollar program across the state.”

The Northey Street City Farm Association, in the Brisbane suburb of Windsor, has used the money to hire eleven long term unemployed for the project.

They’ll have six months to build gardens and shade areas and receive a certificate two in permaculture.

This is one of sixteen Green Army Projects redirected to carry out flood recovery work, involving more than two hundred people across the state.

Grace Grace MP, Brisbane Central: “This project ticks all the boxes. This project is a post flood rejuvenation project. This project trains eleven young people to give them the skills to go into fulltime jobs and this project delivers a bigger garden space for the general community.”

The benefits are not restricted to those involved. The city too gets a country feeling. One becoming more and more popular in the suburbs every day.

Benjamin Leming, QUT News.